Fluid layout will be releasing to all Wikia communities very soon! This is the first in a series of Forum posts that will help admins prepare for the change.
The main page is often one of the most complicated pages on a wikia, with many possible functions from menus and news feeds to art showcases and policy updates. The content is typically organized by using the column tags, which creates a right column the same size as the article page's right rail.
The left column
The most important content on the main page is usually found in the left column. Like the article space on other pages, this area has fluid behavior to ensure it remains the primary focus for the reader. When creating and modifying any containers for the left column, it’s best to use a percentage for the width property so that the proportions of the layout are the same for all viewers. For example, if a centered container is set to use 80% of the available width, users will always see a margin of 10% on either side, whether they’re on a small laptop or a larger gaming monitor. Previously, with a fixed-width layout, defining a pixel width of 536px would have made a container use 80% of the left column’s horizontal space. But with a fixed-width value on a fluid page, the container wouldn’t get wider along with the overall layout, and might appear odd to users on larger screens.
Content inside main page containers can have fluid behavior as well. Text passages will automatically wrap by default, just like on fluid article pages. The Characters gallery on the Breaking Bad main page and the Champions roster on the League of Legends main page are both great examples of image lists that automatically adjust to the variable width.
Right column
Darwin’s fluid layout reduced the right column on articles (also called the “right rail”) from 330px wide to 300px wide. This same change is applied to the main page right column. Right column content that’s set to always be 330px wide may need to be adjusted. It’s fine to simply subtract 30px from any of the values that you have now, but note one thing — when a Wikia community is viewed on an iPad (or another tablet) in “portrait” orientation, the main page right column’s content moves below the left column. (The same thing happens to the right rail on articles.)
You don’t have to have an iPad to observe this behavior. Just make your browser window narrower when viewing a community with fluid layout (like Community Central) and you’ll see the right column’s content move to the bottom of the page. Also note that the items float left. So for these reasons, you may want to consider defining your right column containers’ width as 100% as well. This will allow them to use the maximum possible space in the tablet-portrait configuration of the main page.
Sliders
Slider galleries are most often used on main pages. The dimensions of a slider are always 670px by 360px, and a slider will always be center-aligned in the space it occupies. In a fluid main page left column, users on larger screens will see margins on both sides of a slider. If you’d like to do more with that background space, it’s possible to place a slider inside its own container, as seen on the Spanish Yu-Gi-Oh! main page.
If you have any tips to share or examples of how to make great fluid main pages, please feel free to reply on this thread! If you’re an admin and you’d like some help preparing your community for fluid layout, let us know here.
For more tips on getting ready for fluid layout, see also:
Is there any way to test the fluid layout through a Javascript function? It would be great to know if a page is OK or not before we go through the change.
Iggyvolz wrote:
Is there any way to test the fluid layout through a Javascript function? It would be great to know if a page is OK or not before we go through the change.
Indeed, or at least give us a Darwin preview option.
Can a wiki not be affected by this? Most well made wikis have put much time in designing the main pages so that change will just be more work for them.
Staw-Hat Luffy wrote:
Can a wiki not be affected by this? Most well made wikis have put much time in designing the main pages so that change will just be more work for them.
Don't think it will be much work. Just some small tweaks. Fluid layout will definitely be better than the current one.
Don't think it will be much work. Just some small tweaks. Fluid layout will definitely be better than the current one.
Me and the other admins on my wiki do not want our front paged messed up by so so called "fluid layout" We do not need this... if you do make this happen do not enforce it... Me and the other admins on my wiki do not need this
Not only you, many people don't want it. Personally, I would hate to go through all the wikis i administrate and fix something that's perfectly fine the way it is now.
I have a very bad feeling that this will cause very intricately designed main pages (let's use Bleach Wiki as an example) to break from this sort of change. I beg of staff to please take this into account as to avoid unnecessary work for local admins.
Luna Kitsune wrote:
If you check out vocaloid wiki you'll see how well put together the main page is... and to think that would be ruined! I don't want this to go through
Your front page is modular without any real boundaries. Just set the width from 660px to 700px and you'll be fine. It won't really change anything for you. Also, this is a good time to consider changing your wiki structure anyway, it's bad conduct to have set widths with the expectation it will always stay that way.
If you take this from a purely visual perspective, fluid is a great way to improve the appearance of your wiki. Now that the width increases with screen size, those with bigger screens will not have text squished into one side like it does currently. From a design point of view, just set everything to 100% or max-width and your templates will be fine.
Guys, as someone who's been living with Darwin for a while now, can I just say that Darwin rocks? It makes things so much better at both tablet and extremely widescreen levels. (Honestly, the difference between a non-Darwin and Darwin front page on an iPad is massively in Darwin's favour.)
Adapting to it is really not as hard as it seems. Yes, if you have intricately-designed front pages where you have specified specific widths for various elements, you will probably have to spend some time rethinking those. If your elements have widths specified by percentage, adaptation will probably take 15 minutes. But there are test wikis open, like w:c:darwin — and have been for many weeks — to help you prepare for the change.
Ultimately, this makes all our content look better on a wider variety of devices, so it's for the good.
CzechOut wrote: Guys, as someone who's been living with Darwin for a while now, can I just say that Darwin rocks? It makes things so much better at both tablet and extremely widescreen levels. (Honestly, the difference between a non-Darwin and Darwin front page on an iPad is massively in Darwin's favour.)
Adapting to it is really not as hard as it seems. Yes, if you have intricately-designed front pages where you have specified specific widths for various elements, you will probably have to spend some time rethinking those. If your elements have widths specified by percentage, adaptation will probably take 15 minutes. But there are test wikis open, like w:c:darwin — and have been for many weeks — to help you prepare for the change.
Ultimately, this makes all our content look better on a wider variety of devices, so it's for the good.
What is the change be? And can you just please not do this anyway because I have just experienced multiple changes for the past week now and I do not wanna deal with this one now. I mean, you gotta respect and care for the way I feel about all this.
CzechOut wrote: Guys, as someone who's been living with Darwin for a while now, can I just say that Darwin rocks? It makes things so much better at both tablet and extremely widescreen levels. (Honestly, the difference between a non-Darwin and Darwin front page on an iPad is massively in Darwin's favour.)
Adapting to it is really not as hard as it seems. Yes, if you have intricately-designed front pages where you have specified specific widths for various elements, you will probably have to spend some time rethinking those. If your elements have widths specified by percentage, adaptation will probably take 15 minutes. But there are test wikis open, like w:c:darwin — and have been for many weeks — to help you prepare for the change.
Ultimately, this makes all our content look better on a wider variety of devices, so it's for the good.
What is the change be? And can you just please not do this anyway because I have just experienced multiple changes for the past week now and I do not wanna deal with this one now. I mean, you gotta respect and care for the way I feel about all this.
It's not really that fair that an update just be cut off because it may mean tuning the wiki design. Everyone has to remember that this has been months in the making and many wikis are looking forwards to this update as it's been long awaited. The guys at Wikia have been working really hard to bring us this wicked update, and even harder to make sure everyone is kept to date with it. This isn't the first announcement of this, it's been spoken about for months and people have had plenty of time to prepare! The Halo wiki changed our entire wiki design in the time that this was first announced and now, I'm sure changing a div from width="660px" to width="100%" isn't as time consuming as you may believe. I'm even happy to help if you feel strangled for time?
Just saying, but I think that most main pages actually need barely or no change to match the new Darwin width. Even fixed width items, you can keep fixed width if that's what you really want. It's not like your templates or divs will no longer fit -- after all, the content space is only getting wider.
CzechOut wrote: Guys, as someone who's been living with Darwin for a while now, can I just say that Darwin rocks? It makes things so much better at both tablet and extremely widescreen levels. (Honestly, the difference between a non-Darwin and Darwin front page on an iPad is massively in Darwin's favour.)
Adapting to it is really not as hard as it seems. Yes, if you have intricately-designed front pages where you have specified specific widths for various elements, you will probably have to spend some time rethinking those. If your elements have widths specified by percentage, adaptation will probably take 15 minutes. But there are test wikis open, like w:c:darwin — and have been for many weeks — to help you prepare for the change.
Ultimately, this makes all our content look better on a wider variety of devices, so it's for the good.
What is the change be? And can you just please not do this anyway because I have just experienced multiple changes for the past week now and I do not wanna deal with this one now. I mean, you gotta respect and care for the way I feel about all this.
It's not really that fair that an update just be cut off because it may mean tuning the wiki design. Everyone has to remember that this has been months in the making and many wikis are looking forwards to this update as it's been long awaited. The guys at Wikia have been working really hard to bring us this wicked update, and even harder to make sure everyone is kept to date with it. This isn't the first announcement of this, it's been spoken about for months and people have had plenty of time to prepare! The Halo wiki changed our entire wiki design in the time that this was first announced and now, I'm sure changing a div from width="660px" to width="100%" isn't as time consuming as you may believe. I'm even happy to help if you feel strangled for time?
But don't you guys care about how I feel about all this of how I have severe anxiety and has always despised change?
Thanks to everyone who's offered suggestions and comments so far. We've enabled fluid layout on quite a few communities (including the one you're on right now), and most of them have needed very few changes to their main pages. In many cases it was just some small adjustments due to the change in the right column width, and the left column content worked very well without any changes at all.
The Wikia Community team is standing by to help if you have any concerns about how fluid layout will affect your main page (or other aspects of your community). Let us know on the forum board, set up for that specific reason! And as you can see from this thread, other Wikians are always willing to offer help and ideas.
We'll be announcing the fluid layout release date soon, but you can start thinking about these questions now.
BertH wrote: Thanks to everyone who's offered suggestions and comments so far. We've enabled fluid layout on quite a few communities (including the one you're on right now), and most of them have needed very few changes to their main pages. In many cases it was just some small adjustments due to the change in the right column width, and the left column content worked very well without any changes at all.
The Wikia Community team is standing by to help if you have any concerns about how fluid layout will affect your main page (or other aspects of your community). Let us know on the forum board, set up for that specific reason! And as you can see from this thread, other Wikians are always willing to offer help and ideas.
We'll be announcing the fluid layout release date soon, but you can start thinking about these questions now.
We have been using Fluid for several weeks now with no layout related problems. We use pretty complex CSS, and have a highly structured Main Page layout. Really, it is nowhere near as big a change as some have made out, and should only require layout changes to less than 0.5% of active Wikis. The benefits far outweigh any coding drawbacks, and should be well appreciated by anyone with a moderate knowledge of CSS and largely unnoticed by most. Please don't knock it just for the sake of change. If you have any questions on what we did for our transition as a real world, non-staff experience on a high traffic Wiki, please feel free to contact me.
Don't think it will be much work. Just some small tweaks. Fluid layout will definitely be better than the current one.
Me and the other admins on my wiki do not want our front paged messed up by so so called "fluid layout" We do not need this... if you do make this happen do not enforce it... Me and the other admins on my wiki do not need this
Why exactly is this update needed? Oh wait, this world is always evolving, so should wiki. -_-
I personally think that there is no need to update at the moment, I mean, the servers on some wiki's are still messed up from this pointless update. Some people have worked so hard to make their wiki look the way it does, but we have to "evolve" -_-. But then again, my rant will be ignored by most, and the owners will make their money. Their not concerned about us that opposed against Darwin, they only care about their money. It's pretty stupid honestly, but that's how this world supposedly works.
Don't think it will be much work. Just some small tweaks. Fluid layout will definitely be better than the current one.
Me and the other admins on my wiki do not want our front paged messed up by so so called "fluid layout" We do not need this... if you do make this happen do not enforce it... Me and the other admins on my wiki do not need this
Why exactly is this update needed? Oh wait, this world is always evolving, so should wiki. -_-
I personally think that there is no need to update at the moment, I mean, the servers on some wiki's are still messed up from this pointless update. Some people have worked so hard to make their wiki look the way it does, but we have to "evolve" -_-. But then again, my rant will be ignored by most, and the owners will make their money. Their not concerned about us that opposed against Darwin, they only care about their money. It's pretty stupid honestly, but that's how this world supposedly works.
Dragonknight86 wrote:
Let's see, you'll have to fix lots of things you had with the previous main page. Also, do you really want to have to redo everything? Just saying
Thanks a LOT for this change! The decrease in the size of the rails is what I always wanted.
By the way, will most features, like mathematical LaTeX formatting, work as usual? Because thats very key to my wikia.
Also, with the Darwin layout, will the LaTeX equations become transparent background images, as it is on wikipedia? Because that's one big thing I understand from "fluid".
TheSitcomLover wrote: I just don't like change and I have been recently been putting up with other changes on YouTube and such and now to deal with this? Please, no....
TheSitcomLover: a wider content space is something that a fair number of contributors have wanted for years, and I'm pretty sure that even if not everyone is "yay" about it, that most people still wouldn't mind that they get more space to write their articles in.
On another note, I'm a little curious if there'll a possibility to, aside from putting a specific width in %, give an element a minimum/maximum width? To give an example: if I put a div at 25%, it'll take up 280px on the 700px minimum content width and 318px on the 1270px maximum. Will I be able to put for instance width: 25%; maximum-width: 300px;?
(Shrugs) But first of all, why would people want this anyway? And second of all, what will change? And third of all, peopple should care about how I feel about all of this!
First of all: wider content space means more place to put information in. It's like if someone gets a bigger bed room or a bigger house: only more space to put your stuff in!
Second of all: maybe you should read the blog :v then you'd know.
Third of all: but you didn't even tell what part you didn't like. All you are doing is shouting that you don't want change, you're not even explaining yourself.
The reason I do not like change is mainly due to my severe anxiety and whenever I see something has changed and was not like that the day before, I instantly just panic and my heart starts to pound instantly and it takes me a very, very, very long time to calm down and get used to new things. I am clearly tired of putting up with things like this and I just no longer wanna have to experience these kind of changes in my life. This is just way too much for me and my anxiety attacks.
While you may get anxiety attacks if things change, the nature of life is that things must change, and so everyone in the world must get used to dealing with the consequences of that. I'm sorry, but you are just one user on a website of millions, and change can't be stopped for the sake of one user. At least be happy you know about the change in advanced so you can prepare yourself and so it won't be such a surprise. But things can't always stay the same, no matter how much you may wish them to. Just think, in a few months time you will be really happy with the change. Anyway, the change to fluid layout isn't that big! It basically will only result in the resizing of page content. This wiki right here is using Darwin's fluid layout. It's not that much of a change! So while I, and I'm sure Wikia too, don't want to needlessly cause you distress, there are some things where the good of the many in the long run becomes more important than the good of the few in the short term.
TheSitcomLover wrote:
(Shrugs) But first of all, why would people want this anyway? And second of all, what will change? And third of all, peopple should care about how I feel about all of this!
Could I please request you to refrain from dishonestly upvoting your own comments?
TheSitcomLover wrote:
Okay then. I will explain myself then.
The reason I do not like change is mainly due to my severe anxiety and whenever I see something has changed and was not like that the day before, I instantly just panic and my heart starts to pound instantly and it takes me a very, very, very long time to calm down and get used to new things. I am clearly tired of putting up with things like this and I just no longer wanna have to experience these kind of changes in my life. This is just way too much for me and my anxiety attacks.
@TheSitcomLover You're really the only one ranting over this repeatedly.
If you have a problem with the rails and all the confusing stuff in the look of wikias (I do too), then you should be *happy* about this change. It gives you more space to write! Doesn't everyone want a wider panel for articles.
And the darwin look I see on the test wikis, looks just... wonderful. It is just as beautiful as one would expect a wiki to be. Thank you so much for this change.
What fluid layout is in short is the ability of the content size of your wiki to change depending on the size of your browser window. That means it gets smaller on smaller devices such as iPads and bigger on larger screens. Try resizing the window of this page right now and watch how the content area changes. This is different from before when the content area was of a fixed size that was the same on all screens. That's the difference.
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
2. Visual Mode makes things much more complicated, as to make a template takes as much time as it takes to do about 4 pages with Source.
3. Things will be switched around (Which is going to be annoying)
It just annoys me some greedo decided they wanted more money (Decpite the fact they get paid for every edit YOU AND I make) so they decided to screw up are Wiki's with an uneeded update. I understand that some of you wikians want it, and I know I'm just wasting my words because it's going to happen, and the greedos get there money, but this is seriously going to screw up my wiki. I'm sorry, but that's the freakin truth.
Dragonknight86 wrote:
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
2. Visual Mode makes things much more complicated, as to make a template takes as much time as it takes to do about 4 pages with Source.
3. Things will be switched around (Which is going to be annoying)
It just annoys me some greedo decided they wanted more money (Decpite the fact they get paid for every edit YOU AND I make) so they decided to screw up are Wiki's with an uneeded update. I understand that some of you wikians want it, and I know I'm just wasting my words because it's going to happen, and the greedos get there money, but this is seriously going to screw up my wiki. I'm sorry, but that's the freakin truth.
1. It doesn't cover anything. See http://psiepsilon.wikia.com , for example. The background is pretty visible.
2. Firstly, visual mode and fluid are different things. Visual mode doesn't work completely, and is buggy, if you see the http://communitytest.wikia.com . Secondly, with the visual editor, the source editor will still exist, and I, for example, would always choose the source editor over the visual one.
3. Care to be more specific?
Your claim about them making money is stupid. Having a wider page isn't going to earn more money for wikia. Having the ads go to the bottom on iPads may as well be a loss.
And how exactly does Wikia get paid for every edit?
Your claims are totally unspecific, irrelevant, and unfounded.
It's pretty easy to convert it to Fluid; ThemeDesigner provides tools to make this even easier.
VisualEditor has nothing to do with Fluid layout, is an improvement over the current visual editor, and is not replacing source editing in any way.
You're really grasping here.
This has nothing to do with money. It's about making wikis look better for everyone. Are you opposed to things looking good? If not, stop trying to make ridiculous arguments (all of you in general). As has been said, most wikis need minor updates for this change if any at all.
Edit: hehe two nearly identical replies, high five :P
I understand the concern that the background gets pushed back (especially for tablet users etc), but that's mainly to make sure that content is still readable for people with a small screen -- people who I don't think will appreciate your fancy background if they can't read your wiki. I think for a quarter of all people however, the total width (700px+300px instead of 670px+330px) stays exactly as wide as before, and even then quite some of the people with bigger screens don't have huge screens either, so will not reach the maximum total width of 1270px.
Source mode isn't being removed, as stated above.
Additionally I'd also like to state that the money they make is from their ads. Seeing as the best performing ad is the one in the top right corner of the side rail, which they made smaller (from 330px to 300px), I would say it certainly doesn't have to do with wanting to make money.
Bobogoobo wrote: #It's pretty easy to convert it to Fluid; ThemeDesigner provides tools to make this even easier.
VisualEditor has nothing to do with Fluid layout, is an improvement over the current visual editor, and is not replacing source editing in any way.
You're really grasping here.
This has nothing to do with money. It's about making wikis look better for everyone. Are you opposed to things looking good? If not, stop trying to make ridiculous arguments (all of you in general). As has been said, most wikis need minor updates for this change if any at all.
Edit: hehe two nearly identical replies, high five :P
You are so brainwashed, it's not even funny, and this is not a ridiculous argument, as there are 2 sides stating there opinion. And why would you even say something like "Edit: hehe two nearly identical replies, high five :P"? That makes you look quite ridiculous.
Bobogoobo wrote: #It's pretty easy to convert it to Fluid; ThemeDesigner provides tools to make this even easier.
VisualEditor has nothing to do with Fluid layout, is an improvement over the current visual editor, and is not replacing source editing in any way.
You're really grasping here.
This has nothing to do with money. It's about making wikis look better for everyone. Are you opposed to things looking good? If not, stop trying to make ridiculous arguments (all of you in general). As has been said, most wikis need minor updates for this change if any at all.
Edit: hehe two nearly identical replies, high five :P
You are so brainwashed, it's not even funny, and this is not a ridiculous argument, as there are 2 sides stating there opinion. And why would you even say something like "Edit: hehe two nearly identical replies, high five :P"? That makes you look quite ridiculous.
Oh, just shut up. You can't even back up your conspiracy that there is another way that they make up ads. How, in your opinion?
And two people can write replies at the same time, and they wouldn't realise that someone else posted the same thing.
Dragonknight86 wrote:
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
2. Visual Mode makes things much more complicated, as to make a template takes as much time as it takes to do about 4 pages with Source.
3. Things will be switched around (Which is going to be annoying)
It just annoys me some greedo decided they wanted more money (Decpite the fact they get paid for every edit YOU AND I make) so they decided to screw up are Wiki's with an uneeded update. I understand that some of you wikians want it, and I know I'm just wasting my words because it's going to happen, and the greedos get there money, but this is seriously going to screw up my wiki. I'm sorry, but that's the freakin truth.
1. It doesn't cover anything. See http://psiepsilon.wikia.com , for example. The background is pretty visible.
2. Firstly, visual mode and fluid are different things. Visual mode doesn't work completely, and is buggy, if you see the http://communitytest.wikia.com . Secondly, with the visual editor, the source editor will still exist, and I, for example, would always choose the source editor over the visual one.
3. Care to be more specific?
Your claim about them making money is stupid. Having a wider page isn't going to earn more money for wikia. Having the ads go to the bottom on iPads may as well be a loss.
And how exactly does Wikia get paid for every edit?
Your claims are totally unspecific, irrelevant, and unfounded.
Hey genius, hate to tell you, but look at this http://darwin.wikia.com/wiki/Darwin_Wikia and I use a tablet btw, I'm stuck using a tablet since my computer broke, and we don't have any money for a new one. I love your acting all smart and crap, your really not, so leave everyone that opposes this update alone, as you will turn this situation into something it's not
Dragonknight86 wrote:
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
2. Visual Mode makes things much more complicated, as to make a template takes as much time as it takes to do about 4 pages with Source.
3. Things will be switched around (Which is going to be annoying)
It just annoys me some greedo decided they wanted more money (Decpite the fact they get paid for every edit YOU AND I make) so they decided to screw up are Wiki's with an uneeded update. I understand that some of you wikians want it, and I know I'm just wasting my words because it's going to happen, and the greedos get there money, but this is seriously going to screw up my wiki. I'm sorry, but that's the freakin truth.
1. It doesn't cover anything. See http://psiepsilon.wikia.com , for example. The background is pretty visible.
2. Firstly, visual mode and fluid are different things. Visual mode doesn't work completely, and is buggy, if you see the http://communitytest.wikia.com . Secondly, with the visual editor, the source editor will still exist, and I, for example, would always choose the source editor over the visual one.
3. Care to be more specific?
Your claim about them making money is stupid. Having a wider page isn't going to earn more money for wikia. Having the ads go to the bottom on iPads may as well be a loss.
And how exactly does Wikia get paid for every edit?
Your claims are totally unspecific, irrelevant, and unfounded.
Hey genius, hate to tell you, but look at this http://darwin.wikia.com/wiki/Darwin_Wikia and I use a tablet btw, I'm stuck using a tablet since my computer broke, and we don't have any money for a new one. I love your acting all smart and crap, your really not, so leave everyone that opposes this update alone, as you will turn this situation into something it's not
Yes, I'm going to believe that someone who can't afford a laptop affords a (super-expensive) tablet...
Anyway, back to the point, yes, you can't see the background on a tablet, but it's better than having a distorted screen, with wikia bars and rails popping all over the place.
Can't you leave everyone who supports the update alone, too? Nope, so I don't understand why I should stop supporting this update. Get lost, and stop trolling.
I'm not trolling, and this is an Ipad 1 btw (We got it when it first out). And you seriously need to stop accusing those that oppose the update as trolls, because you seriously are past the annoying stage. I don't need anymore of your yack, good day to you sir/ma'am
Dragonknight86 wrote:
I'm not trolling, and this is an Ipad 1 btw (We got it when it first out). And you seriously need to stop accusing those that oppose the update as trolls, because you seriously are past the annoying stage. I don't need anymore of your yack, good day to you sir/ma'am
You're a troll because you can't substantiate your arguments properly.
Everyone needs to chill out here. All opinons are welcome—after all, we've spent the last three months gathering feedback about Darwin—but uncivil arguments are not. If you can't discuss this maturely, and this goes for everyone here, then don't discuss it at all.
If you're concerned that your background or design in general will be impacted by Darwin, I encourage you to post in our fluid layout help requests board. Once you post there, one of our Community Development staff members will take a look at your wikia and let you know what will be impacted or needs to be changed, assuming there's anything at all.
Dragonknight86 wrote:
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
Don't forget that on many wikis, the background is visible 100% of the time only to registered editors. On most wikis, anon users see the background only intermittently because that space is often entirely given over to advertising. Also, since your particular background at w:c:rollingstones is quite a regular pattern, it shouldn't be super difficult to make work in Darwin.
lol This bitch fight is hilarious. As long as it doesn't affect my wikis or provides the help I need to adjust I'll be good. Keep going though. I'm getting the popcorn. There's always the bestiality accusation if this current bitch fight goes doesn't go anywhere.
I dunno what happened here, but we should refrain from becoming Hostile and I believe I saw something on the bottom right corner of my screen that the fluid layout will commence in the first week of December I guess.
Anyways, this is just a no biggie comment but I urge that all users should not go hostile or disrespectful, and handle the matter civilized.
Note that this hides ads if screens size is less the 1023px so don't implement this for all users on your wiki. Otherwise you are violating TOS or something.
The thing is, 90% of wikis don't have to change anything. And, 90% of those which need to change only need to change a few widths and floats, but would not break completely if they don't. Last time I checked (like 10 minutes ago) w:c:rollingstones, w:c:brickmania, w:c:battlefield and w:c:Starcraft would not need a single change. (I checked a whole bunch more and pretty much the only wiki that falls under the 1% is w:c:zh.batman, which also would not break if they don't change)
Regarding the money business, note that in fluid layout, if the screen size is less than 1023px, the ad on main page completely goes away. If this update has anything to do with money, it's Wikia earning less.
Hey guys. You shouldn't need to use scripts for fluid. As we announced on Monday, you can now request that fluid layout be enabled on your wikia, and we can enable it for you. Just make sure an admin sends in the request via Special:Contact, and we'll get you set up. Thanks!
Iggy, this is because your screen size is smaller than that script accommodates. Darwin changes the navigation area to be full width when the screen size drops. As Brandon said above, if you'd like to switch your wiki to Fluid, just let us know.
Brandon Rhea wrote:
Hey guys. You shouldn't need to use scripts for fluid. As we announced on Monday, you can now request that fluid layout be enabled on your wikia, and we can enable it for you. Just make sure an admin sends in the request via Special:Contact, and we'll get you set up. Thanks!
I'm using this script (which should simulate fluid layout) to make sure that everything will work properly once Fluid Layout comes out. I'm running this script in the console, so no one else should see it.
Rappy 4187 wrote:
Iggy, this is because your screen size is smaller than that script accommodates. Darwin changes the navigation area to be full width when the screen size drops. As Brandon said above, if you'd like to switch your wiki to Fluid, just let us know.
And I again forgot to refresh. The problem is that the logo is partially hidden behind the navigation, I'm not sure if this is a problem with the simulator script or with Fluid Layout itself.
Iggyvolz wrote: Okay, thanks. I got a bit worried because the script didn't do that to other pages.
It is definitely my script. It seems to only affect Special pages though. I will work on it.
btw, I have found another thing: A search box should appear to the right of the logo if screen width < 1023px. I fixed the search box but can't figure out the autocomplete.
So, for everyone out there, the search box SHOULD have autocomplete.
Iggyvolz wrote: Yep, works. Fluid Layout gets fully enabled on December 4, after that this script won't have any effect, so I wouldn't work too hard on it.
I have to run it on my wiki too, and the ground work has been done - I have scripts that sniffs out differences in css files with a few simple commands.
@Slug gunner fan - No, that has absolutely nothing to do with this. You can use some HTML tags, but most are disabled for security purposes. You can use verbatim, but this is highly discouraged except in special cases (e.g. code snippets provided by third-party providers)
@FortressMaximus - Right here in fact! Resize the page to be smaller horizontally (left-to-right) and watch the magic! 夜暮 above wrote a script to try it on your wiki before it is enabled if you'd like, but there are no major bugs that I'm aware of.
That was a script that was trying to simulate fluid layout to eliminate any possible problems beforehand. That bug has been fixed in the testing script, and it was never present in the real thing.
I'm currently using the grid layout extensively (this was introduced in 2012 if I'm not mistaken) on the main page. Will it conform to the fluid layout once it's rolled out? I can move away from it if need be, but it looks fine the way it currently is.
I'm prepared for the 'shiny new thing' to screw-up my wiki.
How does that old saw go? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
So I expect Wikia Staff to be ready and able to respond a.s.a.p. for help requests from admins and fix every single Wikia-created problem and mess resulting from this, er, upgrade.
Is it just me, or does anyone notice that whenever a message has been edited, it says "Edited by [YOUR USERNAME]]", with "[YOUR USERNAME]" being your username? .
@Virago a-go-go You can use the testing script made by 夜暮 above to make sure there are no problems (there was a problem with the script that I posted about above but that has since been fixed, the problem never existed in the real thing). If it's a minor problem, you're better off posting in the forums so you don't bog Wikia staff down, but they are usually very good about fixing issues within a day or two.
@Dimension10 That doesn't belong in this thread, you can post a new thread if you'd like to continue discussion.
I am not a techie. I have no interest in being a techie. Even when I learn computer terms and codes, I forget them because they are irrelevant to my life outside of Wikia. So as far as testing anything, I won't go there because if by doing so I were to cause a problem to happen in my wiki, I will get very pissed off.
There are two kinds of wiki Admins: those that are really interested and versed in computer lingo, bells, and whistles; and those who have strengths in non-analytical areas (such as organization and visual art) that keep their wiki humming and growing.
Luna Kitsune wrote:
If you check out vocaloid wiki you'll see how well put together the main page is... and to think that would be ruined! I don't want this to go through
Your front page is modular without any real boundaries. Just set the width from 660px to 700px and you'll be fine. It won't really change anything for you. Also, this is a good time to consider changing your wiki structure anyway, it's bad conduct to have set widths with the expectation it will always stay that way.
If you take this from a purely visual perspective, fluid is a great way to improve the appearance of your wiki. Now that the width increases with screen size, those with bigger screens will not have text squished into one side like it does currently. From a design point of view, just set everything to 100% or max-width and your templates will be fine.
You assume way too much in your attitude about this change. You assume that everyone is like YOU. You assume that everyone is going to WANT to be like you. I inherited my wiki and it is a beautiful design. Everyone who I've told to check it out has had nothing but compliments about how attractive it is. I AM NOT going to tweak anything if it becomes corrupted by Darwin. Nor should any Admin be expected to tweak anything. The onus to fix problems falls on the shoulders of the people who created this change.
So I repeat: any problems MUST BE FIXED by Wikia Staff. Do not depend or expect Admins to do the heavy lifting for you.
Dragonknight86 wrote:
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
2. Visual Mode makes things much more complicated, as to make a template takes as much time as it takes to do about 4 pages with Source.
3. Things will be switched around (Which is going to be annoying)
It just annoys me some greedo decided they wanted more money (Decpite the fact they get paid for every edit YOU AND I make) so they decided to screw up are Wiki's with an uneeded update. I understand that some of you wikians want it, and I know I'm just wasting my words because it's going to happen, and the greedos get there money, but this is seriously going to screw up my wiki. I'm sorry, but that's the freakin truth.
1. It doesn't cover anything. See http://psiepsilon.wikia.com , for example. The background is pretty visible.
2. Firstly, visual mode and fluid are different things. Visual mode doesn't work completely, and is buggy, if you see the http://communitytest.wikia.com . Secondly, with the visual editor, the source editor will still exist, and I, for example, would always choose the source editor over the visual one.
3. Care to be more specific?
Your claim about them making money is stupid. Having a wider page isn't going to earn more money for wikia. Having the ads go to the bottom on iPads may as well be a loss.
And how exactly does Wikia get paid for every edit?
Your claims are totally unspecific, irrelevant, and unfounded.
Hey genius, hate to tell you, but look at this http://darwin.wikia.com/wiki/Darwin_Wikia and I use a tablet btw, I'm stuck using a tablet since my computer broke, and we don't have any money for a new one. I love your acting all smart and crap, your really not, so leave everyone that opposes this update alone, as you will turn this situation into something it's not
Dragonknight86 wrote:
This update is going to ruin The Rolling Stones wiki, it really is.
1. The background that took quite a bit of work will be covered up by a "Wider page" :/
2. Visual Mode makes things much more complicated, as to make a template takes as much time as it takes to do about 4 pages with Source.
3. Things will be switched around (Which is going to be annoying)
It just annoys me some greedo decided they wanted more money (Decpite the fact they get paid for every edit YOU AND I make) so they decided to screw up are Wiki's with an uneeded update. I understand that some of you wikians want it, and I know I'm just wasting my words because it's going to happen, and the greedos get there money, but this is seriously going to screw up my wiki. I'm sorry, but that's the freakin truth.
1. It doesn't cover anything. See http://psiepsilon.wikia.com , for example. The background is pretty visible.
2. Firstly, visual mode and fluid are different things. Visual mode doesn't work completely, and is buggy, if you see the http://communitytest.wikia.com . Secondly, with the visual editor, the source editor will still exist, and I, for example, would always choose the source editor over the visual one.
3. Care to be more specific?
Your claim about them making money is stupid. Having a wider page isn't going to earn more money for wikia. Having the ads go to the bottom on iPads may as well be a loss.
And how exactly does Wikia get paid for every edit?
Your claims are totally unspecific, irrelevant, and unfounded.
Hey genius, hate to tell you, but look at this http://darwin.wikia.com/wiki/Darwin_Wikia and I use a tablet btw, I'm stuck using a tablet since my computer broke, and we don't have any money for a new one. I love your acting all smart and crap, your really not, so leave everyone that opposes this update alone, as you will turn this situation into something it's not
Wintermelon43 wrote:
I don't understand, WHAT is this, HOW do i use it, HOW do i enable it, and WHY is wikia looking weird out of here?
What. A nicer look to wikia, so that the rails shrink, and the ads go down when you zoom in, and the content automatically resizes when you zoom.
How. Like you always did.
How enable?. It will be enabled all across Wikia today.
Why. Really? It' is perfect to me.
I think Wikia is completely ignoring that some people WANT a fixed width so that their Wiki design, paragraphs and images are positioned in the same place no matter on which device or resolution you view them at. The fluid lay-out messes this all up. Please allow Administrators/Bureaucrats of either opting for a fluid-lay-out or setting a standard width for the wiki, much like how it used to be.
Besides this, I simply like the look of all content in a sleek box at the dead center of the page. The wide lay-out just looks horrendous on a 1920 pixel wide display in my opinion. I'm sure there are plenty of people and communities who appreciate it, but please, give the others who do not the option of turning fluid on or off or at least give us two varieties: one fluid variant like right now, and one that has a fixed width of say, 1300 pixels. I'm sure this is extremely easy to implement and would make everybody happy without compromising the consistent look of all Wikia's.
Wintermelon43 wrote:
Well, can you tell me how to use it?
You don't need to do anything special to use it. It is enabled by default. However, Fluid does the following:
Make the rails smaller, so that there is more space for content.
Make the rails disappear (the ads will go down) on tablet devices,. On a computer, you can simulate this by zooming in to 150%, just to see how a tablet user will see your wikia.
100% (standard computer screen) vs. 150% (like on a tablet)
Biberoi wrote:
Besides this, I simply like the look of all content in a sleek box at the dead center of the page. The wide lay-out just looks horrendous on a 1920 pixel wide display in my opinion. I'm sure there are plenty of people and communities who appreciate it, but please, give the others who do not the option of turning fluid on or off or at least give us two varieties: one fluid variant like right now, and one that has a fixed width of say, 1300 pixels. I'm sure this is extremely easy to implement and would make everybody happy without compromising the consistent look of all Wikia's.
Could you provide a screenshot of how it looks for you?
Also, since Wikia staff obviously already made it clear they are not going to stop implementing this, can I at least suggest that they make use of the extra width for those who have large monitors? Like, extra headers in Top Navigation? Large displays seem to benefit nothing from this change at this point, except not having to scroll down as much because all the text is wider now. Which in my opinion makes it look ugly with tons of dead space everywhere.
I agree, Sliders looks ridiculous now in large resolutions on Fluid.
It would be nice if the main page could be compacted a bit more on large resolutions. I have three columns below the Slider, and those are spaced out a lot now too. Maybe there's a way to float other content to the right of stuff like this on large resolutions, making it display below on lower resolutions?
I like the Fluid layout. Fixed width and positions are a thing of the past, and responsive design is the way to go. It's not a bad idea. However, the Fluid layout isn't responsive enough as it stands now.
Another example: "Around Wikia's Network" should display more than three wikis on larger resolutions.
Also, since Wikia staff obviously already made it clear they are not going to stop implementing this, can I at least suggest that they make use of the extra width for those who have large monitors? Like, extra headers in Top Navigation? Large displays seem to benefit nothing from this change at this point, except not having to scroll down as much because all the text is wider now. Which in my opinion makes it look ugly with tons of dead space everywhere.
It means pointless empty space on either sides of the image, below the right column, to the right of the Latest news header, to the right of the Top Navigation etc.
As for Sliders, I think those in general could use more option - also putting a portrait slider (one that's higher than it's wide), also giving it an option of how big you want it, etc. I think I already made clear to Wikia that this would be a good idea, maybe if you file a ticket for it too, it'd get higher priority. (:
I think they posted a blog about that somewhere before, how there are some wikis who already have something that changes the amount of items in one row when on bigger/smaller screens. I think LoL Wiki's "Champions" list is one such thing. Haven't figured out how to do that yet though.
As for the Spotlights (Around Wikia's network), I personally absolutely agree! I think it's the same as for the "Read more" at the bottom of pages (there was always 3 items there in the past, I think it could be up to five on the widest screens) as well as the tiny square things on category pages (there was 2 rows of 4 there in the past, it could easily be 10 or 12 instead of 8 items imo). Not sure how hard it is to achieve that kind of thing, but I think it should be doable, no?
Biberoi wrote:
It means pointless empty space on either sides of the image, below the right column, to the right of the Latest news header, to the right of the Top Navigation etc.
I think that can be fixed through your Special:CSS (Darwin's newer editor for MediaWiki:Wikia.css), by resizing the "Latest News" table class to 50% instead of 100%, or something like that.
Sorry for the double post but... just now I'm having a major failure with chat.. and liken it or not, since this has never happened before today, when fluid was implemented, I am blaming fluid.
Is anyone else having trouble loading every wikia? So they are installing the fluid layout right this moment then? Because I expecfted it to be installed yesterday and up and running today ont he 4th.
Harry granger wrote: Yes, I have the same problems with all of my wikis and that are a lot. When installing the fluid is the cause, then I know now why this happens. Damn!
I think they posted a blog about that somewhere before, how there are some wikis who already have something that changes the amount of items in one row when on bigger/smaller screens. I think LoL Wiki's "Champions" list is one such thing. Haven't figured out how to do that yet though.
I doubt that that Champions list was designed specifically for Fluid, because any elements which are either inline or floated will do that. The only thing that needs to be figured out is why they are doing it the hard way, when it's a really easy thing to do.
This style is (basically) how they do it:
.inlinelist li {
display: inline-block;
}
to use it, all they need to do is this:
<span class="inlinelist">
* First
* Second
* Third
</span>
Result:
First
Second
Third
(Obviously, they're using images instead of text, but you can see it's working.)
However, the way they actually do it is much more complicated, and I even don't know why they're using a list at all, because a row of images will naturally do that. (That is, if they're the same height - which they are in this case. If they weren't the same height, all you would need is a wrap the images in a span and specify the height of the images.)
Proof: Go to Project:Sandbox and paste this over and over in a single line: [[File:Info.png]]
Result:
I think whoever made that page just really really likes using templates. But this appears to be a case of using multiple nested templates and style overrides for absolutely no reason.
Hello. I have just noticed today that all of the wiki's front pages have been stretched out farther. I just cannot get used to this, so I strongly and respecfully ask for people to contact the people behind this to please change it back as in my opinion, it was much better before.
They have made it for helping wikis, for helping users. I don't believe that they revert it. They try to make it better but reverting at once? No, that I don't believe.
TheSitcomLover wrote: But will someone please just change it back to the exact way it was before it changed today? I just cannot get used to it, no matter how hard I try.
It's only been a day, but I agree that it's kinda ugly.
P. S.: It is automatically OUT now. But you can click it ON. That to all who do not like it. Their admins or they themselves when they are admin can click it OUT themselves.
Yes, I've recognized that it's a problem for more people. Not every change will be greeted and there are people who have a problem with changes generally.
But there are also people who like it. For which side shall Wikia decide?
Harry granger wrote: Yes, I've recognized that it's a problem for more people. Not every change will be greeted and there are people who have a problem with changes generally.
But there are also people who like it. For which side shall Wikia decide?
They are going to keep it. For one, they've never gone back on a change as far as I'm aware of. Also, just about every website nowadays has this. Google, Bing, Twitter, and Facebook all have some sort of Fluid Layout. Wikipedia's fluid layout is almost exactly like Wikia's.
Like I said countless times: keep two versions available. The old one and the new fluid one for those who like it (because I can see the point behind it, it's just not to my taste). Surely it would be easy to make this happen. And if this is a matter of ad placement: the right column on the main pages still has a fixed width. So that would be consistent throughout all sites anyway.
Well, the rollout did not screw up my Main Page (fingers crossed because there's always Murphy's Law around a bend), but the contents do look squeezed-in because of the slightly larger font size giving the appearance of leaving little breathing room between left/right images. The font size needs to be adjusted, but I'm going to have a Wikia Staff person do it because I don't mess around with the nuts and bolts.
TheSitcomLover: Fluid layout has been out one day, after Wikia staff spent months preparing us, letting us know exactly what we would get, and you already decide you will never get used to it because it's too wide, and you demand Wikia revert the change? Your favorite wikis look almost perfectly fine.
129.240.6.229 wrote: TheSitcomLover: Fluid layout has been out one day, after Wikia staff spent months preparing us, letting us know exactly what we would get, and you already decide you will never get used to it because it's too wide, and you demand Wikia revert the change? Your favorite wikis look almost perfectly fine.
129.240.6.229 wrote:
TheSitcomLover: Fluid layout has been out one day, after Wikia staff spent months preparing us, letting us know exactly what we would get, and you already decide you will never get used to it because it's too wide, and you demand Wikia revert the change? Your favorite wikis look almost perfectly fine.
It's the lack of control over how articles look. You can no longer decide how it is formatted because fluid stretches it out to different sizes for every resolution. That's my major problem with it that pretty much ruins wiki editing for me. It's just no fun constructing an article anymore.
Okay, sure, I used to add or remove a couple of words too and reword my paragraph if otherwise it'd have one or two words on a newly started line - but to be honest, that's quite a minor issue that I've gotten over already P:
We could do some re-modeling of the home page on theWings of Fire Fanon Wiki , maybe even the Wings of Fire Wiki also. And, to be honest, both of those wikis both need MAJOR re-modeling of their home pages. We would be glad if you could help us out with that. :)
Yatalu wrote: Okay, sure, I used to add or remove a couple of words too and reword my paragraph if otherwise it'd have one or two words on a newly started line - but to be honest, that's quite a minor issue that I've gotten over already P:
I used to do the same. Makes the paragraphs look better.
Yatalu wrote: Okay, sure, I used to add or remove a couple of words too and reword my paragraph if otherwise it'd have one or two words on a newly started line - but to be honest, that's quite a minor issue that I've gotten over already P:
I used to do the same. Makes the paragraphs look better.
Biberoi wrote:
It's the lack of control over how articles look. You can no longer decide how it is formatted because fluid stretches it out to different sizes for every resolution. That's my major problem with it that pretty much ruins wiki editing for me. It's just no fun constructing an article anymore.
I don't understand this mentality. What kinds of articles are these, where design matters like that? Have you guys never heard of separation of content and presentation?
Like I said, I like to present articles that keep both content and presentation in mind. Some people, like you, might only care about the content. I still don't see valid reasons why this can't be optional for each wiki other than: 'Yeah, this is our new format, deal with it'.
I don't understand this mentality. What kinds of articles are these, where design matters like that? Have you guys never heard of separation of content and presentation?
I used to do this on my main page so there was less white space, but I never stressed about it on other pages. Content isn't everything to make a nice page.
Yatalu wrote: Okay, sure, I used to add or remove a couple of words too and reword my paragraph if otherwise it'd have one or two words on a newly started line - but to be honest, that's quite a minor issue that I've gotten over already P:
I used to do the same. Makes the paragraphs look better.
Biberoi wrote:
It's the lack of control over how articles look. You can no longer decide how it is formatted because fluid stretches it out to different sizes for every resolution. That's my major problem with it that pretty much ruins wiki editing for me. It's just no fun constructing an article anymore.
I don't understand this mentality. What kinds of articles are these, where design matters like that? Have you guys never heard of separation of content and presentation?
Wikia contains a myriad of wikis that, in turn, contain a myriad of designs and formattings. What works for you and makes you content with what you have, does not necessarily work for someone else and make them content. The overall design of my wiki's home page was spared a major blowup, but the enlarged font size has made it visually hard on the eyes and narrowed the space that existed between text and column images. Throughout the wiki, the size of the text against the wiki's background can be problematic for visitors and users with different optical conditions. I understand why Wikia has kissed the asses of users who have minimized their world and rely on tiny screens on cellphones to see and do what is better seen and done on a computer with a larger screen, but there should be a means available for Admins to do what is overall best for the wiki.
Mfaizsyahmi wrote: I'm currently using the grid layout extensively (this was introduced in 2012 if I'm not mistaken) on the main page. Will it conform to the fluid layout once it's rolled out? I can move away from it if need be, but it looks fine the way it currently is.
Apologies for the delay in response to this question. As you noted elsewhere, the "Unterganging Contests" section of your main page did not align with the grid layout after the update. In the blog on Dec 4, I noted that we'll be implementing a new "fluid grid" in 2014 that should help you out! I hope you'll let us know how that works for you when it arrives.
Mfaizsyahmi wrote: I'm currently using the grid layout extensively (this was introduced in 2012 if I'm not mistaken) on the main page. Will it conform to the fluid layout once it's rolled out? I can move away from it if need be, but it looks fine the way it currently is.
Apologies for the delay in response to this question. As you noted elsewhere, the "Unterganging Contests" section of your main page did not align with the grid layout after the update. In the blog on Dec 4, I noted that we'll be implementing a new "fluid grid" in 2014 that should help you out! I hope you'll let us know how that works for you when it arrives.
So, is something else gonna change in 2014? I hope not!
Mfaizsyahmi wrote: I'm currently using the grid layout extensively (this was introduced in 2012 if I'm not mistaken) on the main page. Will it conform to the fluid layout once it's rolled out? I can move away from it if need be, but it looks fine the way it currently is.
Apologies for the delay in response to this question. As you noted elsewhere, the "Unterganging Contests" section of your main page did not align with the grid layout after the update. In the blog on Dec 4, I noted that we'll be implementing a new "fluid grid" in 2014 that should help you out! I hope you'll let us know how that works for you when it arrives.
So, is something else gonna change in 2014? I hope not!
No, they're fixing the grid layout in 2014. You might have to change your code a bit to fit in with the new grid layout, but if you ever need any help with fixes you can post on the forums, either I or someone else will most likely be able to help you.
Speaking of the Fluid Grid, how is that accomplished? Templating or CSS? Can we get a design guide for any Main Page elements that use it? I love Flexbox, but it's far from universal presently.
@Lindsey761812 Why would you want to? If your community agreed that it doesn't work well on your wiki and you had a legitimate you could ask staff to disable it for you.
If you had a legitimate reason that Fluid Layout would seriously damage your wiki and you have community support they might consider turning it off. But if the reason is something like "I don't like change", they won't do it for you.
If you don't agree with the updates that Wikia is giving you, you can always start a wiki with another website.
I never just said 'I don't like the change'. There are multiple posts on the Community Wiki forum and comments where I explain my reasons. I just thought it would be naive to think Wikia would change their minds. From what I've seen, staff has been pretty final on this.
And when would something 'seriously damage' you wiki anyway? The only argument I've heard so far is: rebuild your wiki. Look at the Dead Space Wiki for example: [[1]]. Good luck making that sort of thing fluid. That site's design is pretty much ruined now.
Biberoi wrote:
I never just said 'I don't like the change'. There are multiple posts on the Community Wiki forum and comments where I explain my reasons. I just thought it would be naive to think Wikia would change their minds. From what I've seen, staff has been pretty final on this.
And when would something 'seriously damage' you wiki anyway? The only argument I've heard so far is: rebuild your wiki. Look at the Dead Space Wiki for example: [[1]]. Good luck making that sort of thing fluid. That site's design is pretty much ruined now.
I didn't mean to say that you said that you don't like change, I'm just using that as a drastic example of why Wikia needs a good reason to turn off fluid layout. I'm sure if you contacted them they would either be able to help adapt the page to fluid layout or refer you to someone that could.
Biberoi wrote:
I never just said 'I don't like the change'. There are multiple posts on the Community Wiki forum and comments where I explain my reasons. I just thought it would be naive to think Wikia would change their minds. From what I've seen, staff has been pretty final on this.
And when would something 'seriously damage' you wiki anyway? The only argument I've heard so far is: rebuild your wiki. Look at the Dead Space Wiki for example: [[1]]. Good luck making that sort of thing fluid. That site's design is pretty much ruined now.
I didn't mean to say that you said that you don't like change, I'm just using that as a drastic example of why Wikia needs a good reason to turn off fluid layout. I'm sure if you contacted them they would either be able to help adapt the page to fluid layout or refer you to someone that could.
"or refer you to someone that could."
Uh, nope. Wikia staff is responsible for helping Admins. They shouldn't pass the buck to anyone else. What's the point of being "staff" if they become handicapped when it's time to provide assistance?
Virago a-go-go wrote:
Uh, nope. Wikia staff is responsible for helping Admins. They shouldn't pass the buck to anyone else. What's the point of being "staff" if they become handicapped when it's time to provide assistance?
Wikia staff can only do so much. Considering the vast amount of wikis which have been altered in this update, there's only so much they can do to assist individual wikis. However, there are many other users out there (a lot who can be found in these forums) who are willing to help. What's wrong with having them do something to take some of the weight off of staff?
I don't know where you work and if you do have a job, but if you earn your living by working for an employer: don't forget to tell your supervisor to pass some of your duties along to someone else because your workload is already too much. Let's find out what number that gets you on the unemployment line.
Darwin feels like cancer inside my heart. I hope it gets better and not worse. I still cannot understand why the backgrounds are being messed up by splitting and spreading. Never had any problems with the width of ANY wiki at all, but let's change that.
If you need help on your wiki, post a new thread in the Forums, users there (possibly me, or someone else if they get to it first) will help adjust your wiki if needed. But this discussion is not the place for it.
Haha. Yeah I don't like the loss of control over how articles look with fluid layouts. They are insanely stretched out now, makes reading them harder and more annoying in my opinion.
There are ways to actually negate this. For example by putting all content inside a div, table or column with a preset width. But then you will always end up with big empty spaces on larger monitors. And you'd have to apply this to all articles separately I think. :(
Biberoi wrote:
Be happy that the German version of your wiki still uses the old layout :( But probably not for long.
I really am, the team is already trying to prepare countermeasures against Darwin. I'm quite stubborn about changes.
Perhaps you would be more content hosting a Wiki with another service if you are so dissatisfied. Please allow the development team to do their jobs, or work with them for a better solution rather than calling it a cancer and fighting tooth and nail. These are not difficult changes to make to pages, if any need to be made. As much to the point, every Wiki belongs to the community, not to its admins. You don't own it. You don't even operate it. You are a steward or a guide. When you lose sight of that, and you allow changes beyond your control to affect you in the manner you describe, it is perhaps best to walk away for a while. No amount of protest is going to change the inevitable, and it's not worth making yourself sick over it. You may find after you come back that this is not as big an issue as you have allowed yourself to believe.
Not sure why this whole thing is such a big deal. I've hardly noticed any difference. Maybe that's because I don't use the right device or maybe my wiki just isn't set up in a way that's majorly affected by this but I don't see much of a difference at all, except maybe with text size, which I'm already used to. Honestly I could do with or without this.
